Milady
by Szabotage
Summary: Daisuke reminisces about his first meeting with Hinoto.


Milady 

By Maria Szabo

Disclaimer:  X/1999, Daisuke, Aoki and Hinoto are creations of CLAMP and are owned by them, their publishers and distributers.  This is a work of fanfiction and no profit is being made save that of enjoyment.

     Fate is a strange thing sometimes. 

     Sometimes, you meet the person who will change your life, and you think nothing of it.  A nod, a smile, a quick hello, and all unknowing, you have sealed your fate.

It wasn't like that with her.  I knew from the moment that I met the Princess Hinoto that she would affect the course of my life.  And perhaps my death as well.  Although she doesn't like me mentioning that part of it, I cannot help but speak the truth.  That's part of the reason she chose me as her protector.  Unfortunately, it works against me sometimes. 

     I remember when I first saw her.  I couldn't have been more than five.  It was already apparent that I had inherited the Gift, and that I had some potential for becoming a Windmaster, maybe even on the level of my uncle Seiichiro, the greatest of our clan.

     Our clan had always had the duty of protecting the Dreaming Princess.  It was a great honor.  My grandfather had held the position, as had his father before him.  When grandfather became ill, it was assumed that Seiichiro would take his place.  He was, after all, the strongest of us, and only the best could be counted on to protect the Princess Hinoto.

     Although you'd think the Diet Building would be among the safest places in Japan, the truth is that there are many dangers which threaten the Princess.  Not many know of her existence, and some of those few do not wish her well.  There's a lot of power at stake here, political and otherwise.  And whoever controls the Princess, controls Japan.  And through Japan, the world.

     Of course, at five years old, I knew nothing about any of this.  My mother had told me a tale about a sleeping princess, and how the ancestor of our clan had found her, and warned the winds away from her so that she could dream peacefully, for should she awake, the land would fall to pieces and sink into the sea.  I remember feeling sorry for a princess who had to sleep all the time.

     My grandfather's illness took him very quickly.  The entire Clan came to his funeral, including relatives I had never seen and one special one that I knew well.  He drew my mother aside and spoke to her in soft, urgent tones, and they both turned to look at me.  Seiichiro's gaze was calm as ever, but my mother was upset, her eyes welling up with tears.

     I had been chosen to take Grandfather's place as a guardian for the sleeping princess.  

     To be honest, there hadn't been much of a choice.  My uncle could not take on that responsibility, for he had a higher calling as one of the Seven Seals.  There weren't many of his generation that were born with the gift, and those that were had already chosen other responsibilities.  I had the most talent amongst the children, and at my age, I could more easily be trained.  My mother told me later that my grandfather had intended to train me himself, had he lived.  Fate again, I suppose.

     So a few days after the funeral, I went with my mother and my uncle to Tokyo.  It was my first time in the city and I remember how overwhelming it all was.  I'll admit to even being a little frightened.  What made it worse was that no one would tell me what to expect.

     "Just be polite," said my uncle.  "The Princess has the final word on her retainers."

     "But, if she's asleep, how can I talk to her?"

     He smiled at me.  "Just talk.  She'll understand."

     "But, what do I say?"

     "Say what's in your heart."  He put a finger to his lips.  "I really can't tell you more than that.  Be truthful.  Honesty and loyalty are the greatest traits a retainer can possess.  You must speak the truth and keep your promises.  Do you understand?"

     "I think so," I replied, although I thought it strange he should be so worried about that.  I always spoke the truth, even if it meant getting in trouble.

     When we got to the Diet Building, we were led to an elevator.  Mother told me to get in, then hugged me tight, holding me for a long moment.  She let go, finally, straightening my tie and brushing my hair out of my eyes.

     "I love you," she said.  "Always remember that."

     "You're not coming with me?"

     "No, baby, I can't.  Your uncle and I will wait here."  Her breath was sweet as she kissed my brow.  "Make me proud, Daisuke."

     Later, I found out that if I had failed the test, I would not have lived to see my mother again.  It must have taken a lot of courage for her to let me go.

     The elevator was an old-fashioned one, and I watched the arrow with fascination as it took me down into the basement.  In some ways, my curiosity saved my life.  Now that I was finally there, I was too interested in my surroundings to be really scared.

     The elevator opened to a dark hall.  I wasn't sure which way to go and stood there uncertainly until I heard the slight tinkle of a bell.  I went in that direction, my eyes gradually adjusting to the dim light.  I came up to two doors, which slid open as if they knew I was there.  Holding my breath, I entered the room.

     She was alone there, and to my surprise, she was a child, like me, perhaps a bit older, but not by much.  The bells I'd heard were in her hair, a slight movement had set them ringing.   Her hair was as white as snow and so long that it cascaded across the floor around her, even with the old-fashioned hairstyle she was wearing.

     "Hello," she said.

     I stared.  Her mouth hadn't moved, and what was more, she hadn't looked at me, either.  She was facing straight ahead.

     "You must be Daisuke?  Yes?"

     "Ah…yes.  Yes, milady."    I knelt and bowed as I'd been taught.

     She smiled sweetly.  "I'm so pleased to meet you at last."

     "Yes, milady.  Er, I mean, I'm pleased to meet you also."

     She still didn't look at me.  "You seem puzzled?"

     "I thought you were asleep.  You're the Sleeping Princess."

     That seemed to catch her off guard.  She was silent for a minute, then turned her head in my direction, her eyes looking past me.  "Maybe you're sleeping, and in your dream, I'm awake."

     "No, milady, I'm awake and so are you.  But if you're awake, shouldn't Japan be sinking into the sea?"  

     Her laugh was merry and the bells in her hair chimed along.  "If you say so."

     "It doesn't seem like we're sinking, Milady."

     "Maybe we aren't."

     "Then why did they say that we would?"

     The bells shimmered as she shook her head.  "Maybe the story is wrong.  What do you think?"

     I stopped pretending to keep my eyes lowered and looked straight at her.  "You don't seem quite awake, either.  But I think it would be bad to have the winds disturb you.  It would muss your hair and the bells would get tangled."

     I was too fascinated with her to remember that I was supposed to be polite.  With sudden horror, I clamped my hands over my mouth. 

     "No, you mustn't do that, Daisuke," she said in a kind voice, her lips still.  "You spoke the truth.  You must always tell me your truth.  So many others do not."

     My face was beet-red.  I bowed again, putting my forehead to the floor. 

     "You are right, though.  My hair would get very messy, if the winds were allowed in here."  The bells shimmered again.   I lifted my eyes and she beckoned. "Please come sit here, next to me."

     Her eyes still looked past me, but she was nodding her head.  Hesitant, I got up and walked slowly towards her.  She patted the dais and I carefully climbed the steps, sitting on the floor next to her, being careful not to sit on her hair.  She had a nice scent, like wildflowers.

     "You look a lot like your grandfather.  He was a good man."

     "I thought…"

     She turned towards me again.  "What?"

     "Milady, you don't look at me.  How do you know what I look like?"

     "In life I am blind, but in dreams, I can see quite clearly.  And I see you, now and in years to come.  You are very like your grandfather."

     "You can see me in the future?"

     She laughed again.  "Did they not tell you anything about me?"

     I shook my head.

     "Well, I suppose they shouldn't, should they?.  I'm a dreamseer.  I can see the future when I dream.  But I can't see, or talk or walk, so someone has to watch out for me while I'm dreaming."

     "Like me?  Keeping the winds away?"

     "Exactly.  I know that you are young and will need training, but the Windmaster clan has always protected me."

     "You'll let ME protect you?"  I couldn't believe my ears.  I was only five, yet I would be the one who took care of this pretty girl, just like a grown man!

     "If that is what you want to do."

     I was puzzled.  "I thought there was a test."

     "Every choice is a test.  I choose you for my retainer.  Will you choose to protect me?"

     Even at that age, I knew there was something else in that question, something that I would not understand until I was much older.  But at the time, all I knew was that there was a beautiful, delicate princess who needed me to be her knight when I grew up.  No one had ever needed me like that before, not even my mother.  Suddenly, I had a purpose.

     "I will protect you," I whispered solemnly.  "with my life."

     The bells in her hair chimed again as she turned her head away, a perfect tear forming in the corner of her left eye.  "Yes.  You will," she replied, and the words were soft and sad.  "I hope I may be worthy of it."

     "Will I have to fight dragons?"

     She went very still.  "Dragons?"

     "In all the stories, a knight has to fight to protect the Princess from dragons.  Will I need to do that, too?"

     "Oh, yes," she said.  "That, most of all."

     And from that day to this, I have been by her side.  The dragons she saw were not the same kind that I had imagined, but they came none-the-less, more dangerous than the winged beasts of my imagination.

Fin

This was for Ammie-chan!  Happy belated Birthday!


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